SANTA CRUZ — The year before Alex Aparicio-Hernandez started at Harbor High School, the boys soccer team took home a Central Coast Section title — a highly competitive, momentous achievement for any local athletics team.
So, naturally, he was a little intimidated as he readied himself to try out for the squad when school was called back into session that fall. But Aparicio-Hernandez did what he had always done and has continued to do when faced with a challenging situation: he looked to his family for wisdom and inspiration.
“My parents reminded me that being nervous is a good thing,” said Aparicio-Hernandez, as if it were a refrain he’d repeated in his head a thousand times. “It means that you care.”
Aparicio-Hernandez, now 18 years old and prepared to graduate from Harbor at the end of the month, made varsity his freshman year and quickly became a core feature of the team for the next four seasons. Harbor was crowned the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League champion during his sophomore season and the team competed for a Central Coast Section title throughout Aparicio-Hernandez’s tenure by never finishing below second in league play.
Though he’s not one to approach team sports with an eye for individual achievement, Aparicio-Hernandez also received his fair share of recognition as a standout striker. He made the all-league team as a sophomore and junior and was named offensive player of the year as a senior this season. He also served as co-captain his senior year, though he found that the armband captains are required to wear on the field sent the wrong message to his teammates.
“It’s just another distraction,” said Aparicio-Hernandez. “I’d say, ‘Anyone here can be a captain. Everyone here should think or be like a captain.’ It builds more chemistry and makes the team better.”
Michael Vahradian, who has been the soccer coach at Harbor for 13 years, described Aparicio-Hernandez as a beloved teammate that set an example for others — analytical, process-oriented, even-tempered.
“Alex has stood out as exactly the type of player we want in our program,” said Vahradian. “He set an example for younger guys over his four years and has really helped us create a culture of kindness and collaboration and hard work and togetherness. And that impact is going to last for a long time.”
Aparicio-Hernandez’s willingness to work hard wasn’t reserved just for the soccer pitch. The star student-athlete maintained a 3.7 grade-point average throughout his high school career and excelled in mathematics — his favorite subject.
“I like that feeling of being stuck, but then finding the solution to the problem,” said Aparicio-Hernandez, who will join his older sister, Kay, as a San Jose State University student in the fall.
Aparicio-Hernandez’s commitment to his studies also made him a familiar face at Harbor’s counseling office where he’d often go if he had an open school period and needed to catch up on his homework, if he wanted to fill out a scholarship application or even to just pass the time. But that’s not what got him the respect and admiration of his counselor, Joanna Garcia, or the rest of the staff in the office. Impressive as his study habits were, Garcia said she and her colleagues grew fond of Aparicio-Hernandez because of the positive, friendly energy he brought with him everywhere he went.
“He’ll come in and everybody always greets him. He just makes everyone smile,” said Garcia. “I think that’s something we will definitely miss. And I’m not just speaking for myself, I think I’m speaking for the whole counseling office.”
Though he’s tempted to take after his sister by studying mathematics at San Jose State, Aparicio-Hernandez plans to major in business administration and analytics. The hope, he said, is that his studies develop into a career with a professional sports team — such as the San Jose Earthquakes or San Jose Sharks — with the intention of combining his passion for athletics and business.
“That’d be the dream goal,” he said.
Thanks to his hard work, Aparicio-Hernandez will also have some assistance in reaching that goal. His academic excellence and sporting prowess helped earn him the Bob and Betsy Darrow Scholarship issued by Community Foundation Santa Cruz County — a one-time $4,000 award to support his studies in San Jose. The scholarship is one of 47 issued by the foundation this year for a distributed total of $417,600 coming from 18 different funds started by philanthropic community members.
Of the awardees, 92% are Black, Indigenous or people of color, 64% are first-generation college students and 2% are recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
But while Aparicio-Hernandez’s verve for sports is obvious and widely known, some might wonder where his business interest arose from. Once again, he took a cue from his family.
His parents, Rocio Hernandez and Raymundo Aparicio, have owned and operated Ice Cream Aparicio for years and sell a variety of popsicles and sweet treats at pop-up locations throughout the county. Aparicio-Hernandez said his parents come from humble beginnings and began by pushing a single cart on foot. They have now expanded to three ice cream trucks that draw crowds at local parks and sporting events.
Aparicio-Hernandez grew up working at the ice cream truck as much as he could and as his business acumen improves in college, he plans to put some of what he’s learned into practice back home at the family business.
“I always help out my parents as much as they need,” he said. “It’s that proud feeling of them being able to have their own business in Santa Cruz.”
As for his soccer career, Aparicio-Hernandez initially planned to pack away his cleats and jerseys into storage for a while so he could focus entirely on his studies. But after a few conversations with his coach and those he’s close to, Aparicio-Hernandez decided he will try out for the club team and see where it takes him.
After all, the game has taught him so much and his parents’ advice rings as true today as it did four years ago.
“It’s the joy, the love for the game,” that changed his mind, Aparicio-Hernandez said. “Just the way the ball can speak for you. Anyone — no matter the language, no matter the background. We all speak the same language once we are on the field.”